Steve Perry left Journey primarily because he lost his passion for music and singing, and his voice was suffering. He mentioned that the passion for music had left him, and as a result, he began engaging in party behaviors to cope with his frustrations. This decline in passion and vocal condition made him realize that he needed to stop performing with the band. Additionally, he faced tensions within the band, exhaustion from touring, and vocal strain. Later, after a hip injury and being reluctant to undergo necessary surgery, the band gave him an ultimatum to have the surgery or be replaced, which led to his permanent departure in the late 1990s. Perry has since preferred to focus on his solo career and avoid revisiting his time with Journey.